One major aspect that affects how a student learns is the style of teaching that the professor uses. You can enjoy the subject and be great friends with whoever is teaching it, but none of that matters if the information isn’t being absorbed.
It is widely agreed, and proven, that visual teaching and the use of demonstrations allows for students to clearly understand the subject matter, as opposed to simply being spoken to. When a student can see an example of what they are being taught, it is much easier to comprehend the processes and rules they are being told, and how they relate to the subject matter.
A study conducted in St. Louis by Washington University’s psychology professor Mark A. McDaniel demonstrates that visual aids and interaction with students allow those who are studying a subject to learn more efficiently.
“Participants given illustrative diagrams likely engaged in deeper levels of processing,” wrote McDaniel.
Austin Clarizio, a second semester biology major, agrees that interaction between teachers and students is the best way to absorb knowledge.
“Visual aids not only help engage me in the class, but helps a lot with remembering what I learned,” said Clarizio. “In my opinion, it’s the best teaching style, for sure.”
In addition to using visual aids, which are a necessity in subjects such as photography, certain professors, like Stephen Callis in the Photography Department, believe the way you talk to your students is just as vital when teaching.
“My teaching style is, what you’d call, informal,” said Callis. “I try to stay accessible and always treat my students like peers.”
With time comes experience. Teachers will constantly alter their styles and adapt to specific teaching needs, said Diane Brabant, professor of anthropology.
“I’ve been doing it [teaching] so long it just comes naturally now,” said Brabant. “Anytime students are actively engaged in what they’re doing, it’s most effective.”
Nearly all teachers and students who were asked agree, that any teaching style that interacts directly and visually with students will, by far, be the best way to ensure that all types of people, no matter their proficiency in a subject, will be able to learn effectively.
